Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-27
STRaKE AMONG THE sMALL FRY.
One Hundred children cult work
and Upset. "a whole Community.

A Norwich Conn special says :
Four weeks ago the spinners and spool
ers in the Shetucket cottOn-mill, at
Greenyille, the northeastern outskirt
OF this city, struck for an increase of
wages, and as result Of the action,
between five hundred and six hundred
people were thrown out of employ
ment. The strikers themselves number
something more than one hundred.
They are, for the most part, under fiji
teen years of age, and their leader,
Maggie Ellen Sullivan, is girl who has
not vet seen her seventeenth Summer.
No one thought at first that the strike
would be q thing of more than two or
three days duration. In the general
opinion it was regarded merely rs
piece Of fun on the part OF the boys
and girls engaged in it, and even the
mill-operatives not actively concerned
in il could not bring themselves to look
upon it MS anything but q joke. The
fact soon became apparent, however,
that the youngsters meant business.
Their demand for an increase OF
ten cents on every dollar of their
weekly earnings except in the case Of
the poorest-paid operatives, who
were getting only 81 or $3.50 and who
wanted an advance to 50. When the
demand was made the superintendent
of the mill promised to lay the matter
before the Board OF Directors and to
report their decision within day or
two. This was declared to be satisiac-
tory. but the splnners and spoilers
changed their minds about it later in
the day, and, without any notice to
their fellow-opcratives in the other de-
partments, they left the mill in body
before the close OF working hours. The
big establishment could not be run
without them, and it was accordingly
shut down.
OF these 100 or more strikers proba-
bly, not more than thirty or forty had
any proper understanding OF the action
That they had taken and Of the conse-
quences that were likely to ensue from
it. The others were altogether too
Young to give the matter any serious
thought. When the strike got to be a
week old determined effort was made
TO bring it TO q close. The mill opera
tives not engaged in it did not care to
continue idle, even if they could afford
to do so, and their influence, to large
extent. was thrown against the young
labor agitators. The strikers also hal
much to contend with in their own fam
lies. whose means of support came
almost altogether from the mill. Their
parents urged and kept urging them 10
return to work, and in these appeals
they were seconded by the Catholic
priests here, who both inpublic and in
private advised the abandonment OF
The strike. Deaf ears were turned to
all these entreaties and counsels, how
ever, owing, it is said, to the influence
exerted by Maggie Ellen, who went
about among her young associates IN
the rebellion against capital, cncou-
raging them to continue in their resist
ance and cheering them with the hope
Of success as the reward Of perseyering
ofolt.
There is no question that both sides
are now heartily tired of the strike aud
that both would be glad to see it
brought to an end, though Neither has
vet shown any decided inclination to
Weld to the other. 1t is believed that
an attempt will be made to start the
mill next week. The poorer families
involved in the strike have already be-
gun to suffer, though they are kept
from absolute want by contributions
from the Knights of Labor, Sc
cured, it is said, by the Sullivan
girl, who insists upon a continuance
of the fight to the bitter end. Many
of them have been turned out OF their
houses by the mill company, and they
are now quartered in Easements pre-
viously unoccupled. Unless a way out
Of the difficulty is found in the near
future there is likely to be great deal
of suffering among the 1,20O or 300
people who have been dependent upon
the mill for the means of support.